


Wild's Story

by Jaybird314



Series: A Rusted Chain [2]
Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: ...sort of, Blood moon, Bokoblins - Freeform, Conlang, Death, Fantasy Racism, Found Family, Ghosts, Gore, Memory Loss, Reincarnation, Violence, Worldbuilding, magic systems, the guy's gotta get all those monster guts somewhere
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-23 23:07:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30062964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jaybird314/pseuds/Jaybird314
Summary: Zelda Florana Hyrule has been waiting for her knight to wake up for 100 years. So when he wakes up without even the memory of his own name, she's not about to let him stumble around on his own- after all, they have a world to save.Vatekru, the newest addition to the little band of Bokoblins that lived in the middle of the Plateau, just wants to hunt and cook in peace, and not worry about saving people they don't even know. But destiny has other plans for them.The prophecy called for a princess and hero. What they got was a goddess and a survivor. But listening to the prophecy didn't do them any good last time, now did it?Maybe this time they can get it right.
Series: A Rusted Chain [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2211678
Kudos: 15





	Wild's Story

They awoke to silence. To darkness and stillness and the sensation of drowning. 

They awoke to burning lungs and heaving coughs, to the freezing cold on their skin.

They awoke to nothing.

But, no- not nothing. Something. The first ‘something’ they’d ever known. A cold, dark cavern, though they didn’t know any of those words, let alone what a cavern was. They knew that it felt safe, though. Like a home.

Not that they knew what a home was, either.

Something guided them to a strange pedestal and the glowing object on top of it. They didn’t know what it was or what it was called, but it felt safe too. 

The unknown something guided them to the door, guided towards the terrifying light, but they stayed in their cave, frightened. The glowing thing was warm at their fingertips, mesmerizing them with its moving patterns. It showed them an image of a strange creature, and, after a moment, they realized they were looking at themselves.

There was nothing familiar about their face. But they hadn’t really expected there to be.

The something pulled at them again, towards the light, and they held tight to the glowing thing. It was safe, it would keep them safe out in the light. They didn’t know what it was, who they were, where they were…

So maybe the light had some answers for them.

\---

Gruruva would consider himself to be a fairly average individual.

He did his job, did as his fellows asked of him. He couldn’t fight very well, but he was great at hunting, enough so that his _naharu_ kept him around. And the _naharu’va naka,_ of course. That was very important if he didn’t want to die.

So when the _naharu’va naka_ told them all that there would be a terrifying hunter coming by in the coming days, and that Gruruva and his fellows would have to kill them in order to survive, he listened. It wasn’t his problem to deal with, sure, but he did like to stay apprised of things. 

Besides, all that fighting and dying and fighting some more that was sure to come just meant more hunting for him.

But Gruruva had also spent many of his early years as an _ektetu’teva onu’beh momunu,_ a protector of many children. A father. A caretaker.

He couldn’t kill a child. Not even if the _naharu’va naka_ demanded it of him directly. Even if that meant his own death, with no moon to save him.

So when he saw a weak little _gegru_ stumble its way out of the cave on the hill, he didn’t attack it.

“It is pathetic.”

“I don’t _care,_ ” argued Ruvenva, ignoring him to further sharpen her spear. “Our job is to kill it, you know this.”

“Would you kill a thing like that?” Gruruva continued. “Yes, it is a _gegru,_ but it is defenseless, weak. Moon and sky, Ruvenva, it has less clothing than you do.”

“Isn't this a good thing?” asked Kabava, noticing the argument. “It will have a bad time killing us, yes?”

“It couldn’t kill a chuchu, I think. I say that this thing is just silly. If the Good King of All is afraid of this thing then I doubt he has actually _seen_ it.”

“I’ve never seen a baby _gegru,_ ” added Zuwekbo, looking up from his work with a curious expression. “What does it look like?”

Gruruva shrugged. “I saw not much. It’s like an adult one that has a really long mane and weird markings all over it, that is what I know.”

“Maybe it’s like a _lenu_ and it’ll lose the markings when it does age,” Kabava suggested.

“Have you ever seen a _lenu_ before?” asked Ruvenva.

“Well- no, but that is not what I’m saying.”

“It could just be a really weird _luzavos,_ ” added Zuwekbo.

Gruruva groaned, rolling his eyes. “Let’s just go look at it, and you can see what I tell you.”

\---

When they left the dark cavern, they were met with an impossible sight. Beautiful, brilliant things, a world of unknowns. Endless fields of green, forests untouched for generations, red-rock canyons filled with bones of long-dead monsters.

There were also a lot of mushrooms just by the cave itself, though, and that was a lot more interesting.

They found out that tapping the mushrooms against the glowing thing made the mushrooms disappear into it, and tapping it again made the mushrooms come back. They were quite certain this was the most amazing thing they’d ever seen in their entire life. To be fair, that wasn’t a very high bar, but they were still quite excited.

After a few more discoveries, such as the fact that some mushrooms taste very good when you lick them while others do not, the something pulled at them again, leading them down the slope away from the cave.

There was a feeling of apprehension behind it, though, like the something was scared. They didn’t want the something to be scared. So they turned around completely, walked in the other direction, and promptly fell off a cliff.

This was also a fascinating new discovery.

\---

“Moon and sky.”

“I know, right?”

“This _must_ be a _gegru_ baby,” Ruvenva insisted flatly. “There’s no way anything else could be this dumb.” As she spoke, the _gegru_ toddled around, looking amazed at everything, before trying to lick a tree. Based on the _gegru_ ’s reaction, it didn’t taste very good. It didn’t taste better the second time, either.

Or the third.

“Hey, I have a thought,” interjected Zuwekbo. “Do you all remember some ten-cycles ago, when that _tebeva’nunu_ off to the east found that baby wolf? And they kept it instead of eating it?”

“I think I know that,” Gruruva mused. “The thing became a good hunter for them.” He paused. “Oh. Oh no, no way, we’re not doing this thing.”

“Doing what thing?” asked Zuwekbo innocently.

“Adopting that _gegru_ into our _tebeva’eknu_ ,” Gruruva explained, glaring at Zuwekbo. “We were told to kill it!”

“We were told to kill a terrifying and powerful hunter,” Zuwekbo reasoned. “Besides- has anyone ever known of one of ours protecting and raising a _gegru_ ? We could teach it to be friendly to us! Even protect us from other _gegru_!”

“...I hate to say this, but he’s right,” said Ruvenva, earning a dramatically offended gasp from Zuwekbo. “The Good King of All wouldn’t ask us to kill this if it didn’t have at least the _potential_ of being a threat… er, _eventually,_ ” she added, seeing the little _gegru_ sticking flowers in its mouth. It seemed quite happy about this. “We do this, and we keep that from happening. We get it on our side. Make it not see the Good King as an enemy.”

Gruruva sighed into his hands. “I hate this. I hate all of this.”

“You did speak of it first,” Kabava noted.

“This thing is true, but now you guys are going to make me babysit it!”

“Only sometimes,” Zuwekbo argued half-heartedly. “Look at the good, though! If you teach it how to hunt then it can help you out!”

Gruruva groaned, though it was really just for show- Zuwekbo had already convinced him. “...this thing is true. But I want to say that I’m only doing this under duress.”

“You do _all_ things under duress, Gruruva, you’ll be fine.”

\---

The something had spent a good while trying to pull them back to the scary figure, but they were still just as anxious as before, so they stayed where they were and kept exploring.

They found out a few new things, like what did and didn’t taste good, which they considered to be the most important thing they could learn. They knew they existed, which was probably more of a revelation than it should be. They called themself ‘Shrine’ for now, as it was one of the few words they remembered- just the word, though, and not the meaning. There were also a few strange creatures off in the bushes making noises to each other, but they weren’t getting near, so they probably weren’t dangerous.

Oh. Actually, nevermind. 

“ _Vuvu,_ ” grunted the creature, baring its large, flat teeth, its glowing eyes pulled back in a squint. “ _Ek ven nunbo bo tu._ _Kasa nu sasak ek beh?_ ” 

Shrine stared at it. Stared some more. Then grinned, flapping their hands excitedly. _Friend!_

“ _Ek zu beh kahgo ru sasabo,_ ” growled one of the other creatures, making the one that had spoken first bark at it angrily. “ _Nahana! Zu’ek beh nu ek’sasakru onu’bo!_ ” 

The creature before them huffed, and they could tell it was annoyed, so Shrine shied back, not wanting to make it angry. The creature saw this, and looked concerned. “ _Bo, bo! Ekru sasaktu ekenbo bo zutetu nu. Nu vu. Tu- ek tewek nu tekru, sasak?_ ” Continuing to bare its stubby teeth, the creature tossed them a strange thing that smelled good. The creature in the bushes looked annoyed at its friend. 

Shrine probably should have been more careful, but they didn’t know how to be, but they did know the thing the creature gave them smelled very, _very_ good, and so they took a massive bite out of it.

Their eyes grew wide and teary.

This was the most amazing thing they had ever tasted in their entire life.

The creature cheered, and Shrine flapped their hands again, laughing.

\---

Flora had thought quite a bit about how her knight might behave when he woke up again. Would he be angry? Scared? Would he still be in pain?

She had not expected him to act like a toddler. She’d been warned the Shrine of Resurrection might mess with his memories, but… this was more than that. Champion Link was _gone,_ and in his place was a stranger.

But… Flora didn’t really have a choice. No, that wasn’t right- she did have a choice. She could either watch not-Link and try to guide him, or she could watch her own body where it remained in the Castle. The Castle filled with Malice and hatred and the stench of death.

So she stayed with not-Link and watched him fall off a cliff.

And lick a tree.

And get adopted by a bunch of Bokoblins.

Well. At least the end of the world would be interesting to watch.

\---

“ _Ek,_ ” insisted the creature, which Shrine had dubbed ‘Blue’ once they remembered that was the word for the color of its skin. “ _Ek,_ ” it repeated, pointing to itself.

“Ek,” Shrine agreed, pointing to Blue.

“ _Bo, bo bobobo-_ **_ek-_ ** ” It pointed at itself. “ _Ek, nu’tenu_ **_nu._ **” It pointed at Shrine.

Shrine nodded, pointing at Blue, then themself. “Ek, nu.”

The creature groaned, pulling at its long ears, leading the other creature, which was very tall and had a long face, to pat its back. “ _Nuruva. Nuruva._ ”

“ _Ekru_ **_bo!_ ** ” cried Blue sadly. “ _Kasaru ekru’onu ven kahgo sasak?_ ”

“ _Nu’onu boru,_ ” grunted another creature, the one who had been in the bushes before.

_“Nu bo bah, Gruruva._ ”

“ _Nuru ru boteh teh?_ ” offered the fourth creature, who was the same orange color as Bushes but much smaller.

Blue hummed. “ _Ru’onu bova bova. Kasa teh, onu’tehnu?_ ”

“Nu bo bah?” Shrine parroted, hoping to make their new friends happy. “Nuuu bohhh bahhhh...”

Bushes barked in amusement. _“Va, va. ‘Nu bo bah’ teva.”_

“ _Nurubo, Gruruva,_ ” grumbled Blue, before seeming to realize something. “ _Va! Va va va! Ek’sasakru va!”_

“ _Tu bah teh, Zaruva._ ”

Blue bared its teeth again, pointing to itself. “ _Zaruva. Ek tu Zaruva._ ”

Shrine pointed to Blue. “Zaruva.” 

Blue cheered, jumping in place. “ _Va, va!_ ” It pointed over at Bushes, saying, “ _Nu tu Gruruva. Gru-ru-va._ ”

“Gruruva?” Shrine repeated curiously. Were these their names? “Zaruva,” he pointed at Blue again, “Gruruva,” then at Bushes. All four of the creatures looked very pleased with them, and Shrine grinned.

\---

Flora watched with a spiteful sort of joy as not-Link continued to try and learn from his new monster friends. Based on their reactions, he was a very quick learner, managing to pick up the basics of their language in a few days. To be fair, most of the language seemed to be grunts and growls and a lot of gesturing with their hands, but not-Link seemed happy.

And, well. He was still completely avoiding the only other Hylian on the entire Plateau, someone Flora didn’t really want him to meet. Maybe that was petty of her. It probably was.

But a hundred years is a hell of a time to build up a grudge.

\---

Shrine learned a lot of things from their new friends.

The blue one, Zaruva- _he who has done many things_ \- taught them most things, like how to speak and how to be polite. There were a lot of rules to both of them, but Zaruva was very patient with them, even though they weren’t very good at learning.

Gruruva- _he who hunts well-_ was the grumpy one, but he was nice to Shrine and helped them learn how to hunt. Well, he tried to, but Shrine kept getting distracted or tripping over their own feet. Gruruva would grumble in annoyance, but still help them up every time.

Ruvenva- _she who crafts things-_ was the group’s _naharu,_ their leader. She taught Shrine how to survive and how to fight, and gave them a new name- Vatekru, _the one who cooks good food._

Kabava- _he who tells happy stories-_ had been the previous cook for the group, the _tebeva’eknu_ , and had been delighted to be relieved of his job once he saw how quickly Vatekru picked up the craft, and how much they enjoyed it. They wanted to give back to their family, and this was finally something they were actually good at.

They didn’t learn much from Zuwekbo- _he who once ran badly-_ but they didn’t really mind. Zuwekbo had a debilitating injury in one of his ankles, keeping him from leaving the camp very much. Despite that, he was very fun to be around, and never got Vatekru into trouble when they did something they shouldn’t have. 

Vatekru was happy.

But they knew that it wasn’t forever.

They didn’t know _how_ they knew that. Sure, there were little things- the way Gruruva looked at them with something like pity, the way Ruvenva would glance nervously at what she called ‘the throne of the Good King of All’, or the simple fact that Vatekru was a _gegru,_ a light-hunter, and the others were not.

But just because it wouldn’t last forever didn’t mean that Vatekru was going to let go without a fight.

“For what reason you need many weapons?” asked Ruvenva, after Vatekru had asked her for her help in making a half-dozen bows, spears, clubs, and shields. 

“...I am scared,” Vatekru admitted. “Other light-hunter frightens me.”

“Light-hunter at small house in sparse woods? No danger. He keeps away from us.”

“No danger for you,” Vatekru argued. “Danger for me. Something will happen. I don’t know what this thing is. He is… waiting, I do think.”

“For what thing?”

“I did say I didn’t know.”

“You did say this thing,” Ruvenva agreed sourly. “Fine. But first I teach you how to take things without breaking them. I will need many things to make these weapons with, and I will show you how to get these things.”

“Same as how Gruruva showed me to harvest a slain animal?”

“Same idea, yes, but different things.” She paused. “You will leave us someday. I know this. But let us teach you what you need before then.”

Vatekru smiled. “Of course, Ruvenva.”

\---

Days turned to weeks as Flora watched not-Link learn more and more. She tried to observe him whenever she could, but… well, she could observe him better soon enough. 

She just hoped he stayed with his new family long enough.

And they really were family to him, it seemed- showing him how to cook, how to hunt, how to gather food. He didn’t let them cut his hair, so instead they gave him string to tie it with, and painted him with the same markings they wore. He didn’t wear the same kind of clothing they did- Flora didn’t know what she would’ve done otherwise- but instead spent hours on warm leather garments, all made from the pelts of animals the blue Bokoblin brought to him. The stitches were loose and shoddy, but he didn’t seem to care.

Whenever possible, it seemed, not-Link would prefer to rely on his own skills than let the others work for him. That, at least, hadn’t changed. And… he talked, now. It wasn’t Common, or any other language Flora knew, but she had to admit that it was _some_ sort of language. She’d always known Bokoblins had some kind of intelligence, but, it was different actually seeing it in person.

They were still violent little things, fighting each other, attacking anyone and anything that entered their territory. Flora refused to watch once not-Link entered the fray. He’d kept some of his skill with a sword, and was far faster than the Bokoblins he fought against. They didn’t stand a chance.

(She refused to let herself think about what she’d seen when she came back- the way her knight was hunched over a Moblin’s body, cutting it apart piece by piece with a surgical precision. He’d been covered in blood, and he’d been smiling.)

_Just a little longer,_ she told herself. _Just a little longer._

\---

“You are happy with this task,” Kabava noted, watching Vatekru as they gutted a fallen Bokoblin. Neither of them minded- it would rise with the next Blood Moon, and for now, they needed the parts for their magical properties. The bones would remain intact, of course, no need to cause any injuries, but the horns and teeth would go. Either they’d grow back under the Blood Moon, or this particular Bokoblin would have to deal with the shame of defeat.

“This thing is true,” Vatekru agreed awkwardly. “I know you speak of other light-hunters as things to fear, things that do kill you, and I feel ashamed that I am happy.”

“I don’t care,” said Kabava with a shrug. “You are family. I don’t care that you are not a Bokoblin.”

Vatekru paused in their work. “I have few days left. I know this.”

“...yes.”

“Have you taught me all you can?”

“I have. All of us are the same in this.”

“I will not let them take me. Not if I can stop them.”

“You can’t.”

“No. You’re right,” said Vatekru. “But I am not happy with it.”

“No. Neither am I.”

\---

She awoke to silence. To darkness and stillness and the sensation of drowning. 

She awoke to burning lungs and heaving coughs, to the freezing cold on her skin.

Flora heaved herself out of the glorified coffin and onto the stone floor, hacking up a lung. The light of the full Triforce still glowed a pale gold, illuminating the cavern.

_No wonder not-Link was so freaked out… it was horrible for me and I knew what was going to happen. He didn’t._

Flora groaned, forcing her body to move. Everything felt stiff and awkward, but she supposed that was to be expected, all things considered. Even after spending decades on this, she was surprised she hadn’t forgotten to add a vital organ or two.

...she did forget clothes though.

Thankfully not-Link hadn’t even bothered with the threadbare clothing that had been left behind all those years ago- they’d shrunk a bit, though, but Flora figured it was better than nothing. 

(If anyone were to ask her how long it took her to remember how to put clothes on she would insist it was only a few minutes and that anyone who said otherwise was a liar.)

Now she just had to find not-Link, explain the situation to him, possibly tell her father where he could shove it, and then maybe save the world or something.

No big deal.

Right?

Maybe she would just rehearse what she would say. Just as a precaution. Make sure she had all the kinks out and all that.

Make sure she could still talk.

(She couldn’t.)

It was fine. She knew sign, and Link had as well. And- her father must know _some,_ right? He was a diplomat and all that.

(It hurt, so, so much. Maybe it was just a matter of disuse- she’d not said a word in a hundred years. She shouldn’t be expecting it to come easily.)

Flora willed down her tears and forced herself to stay calm. This was her role, after all. She had to play her part. She had to be kind, and gentle, and be the perfect maiden, the perfect damsel in distress. Had to ignore all the amazing things around her, the frogs and insects and lizards that darted around.

Had to ignore the Castle in the distance.

Had to ignore the screaming that echoed in her memories.

_...wait, no, hold on, that’s actually someone screaming-_

Flora raced down the broken stone pathway, not caring if her clothes got damaged, since they were little more than rags already. She passed a Bokoblin camp, but they paid her no mind, instead huddling in their rocky home, staring wildly outside. The screaming had begun as terror and had turned to rage, and even the monsters were afraid of it.

She ditched the road, pushing through the trees and underbrush as she ran. The forest was silent but for the anger that acted as her beacon.

A beacon, leading to death.

Not-Link was actively fighting her father’s ghost, attacking him with a mixture of remembered skill and blood-fueled fury, a beaten metal sword in hand. It didn’t touch the ghost at all, just passed through him, but not-Link still fought, and the sound of his yelling told Flora that he didn’t care. 

This wasn’t rage, it was grief.

Strewn around not-Link’s feet were the bodies of four Bokoblins and a Moblin, all killed by the woodcutter’s axe the ghost still held.

Flora froze in horror. He’d killed them. The idiot had killed them. Hadn’t he been watching not-Link? Hadn’t he seen the way he’d found friends in these creatures, however monstrous they might be? They’d given him language and knowledge, shelter and food, and _this_ was how the dead king thanked them.

“You need to stop, child,” the king chided not-Link, as if this was just some infantile tantrum. “Those _things_ are just animals. They would have eaten you as soon as they’d thought you fed enough.”

“Nu bo bah!” screamed not-Link, and even though Flora couldn’t understand his words, she could understand the sentiment behind them. “Nu sasak kuun! Nu _tu_ kuun! Onu gebo’vateh naka’va tu ver eknu ven nu _tekuun!_ ”

“Stop _babbling_ at me like that. You are a knight. You are better than this.”

_No. No. Don’t do this. I can take it, I’ve done so for years, but don’t you dare do this to him!_

Flora felt her hand burn with light as she charged forwards, standing between her father and her knight. “STOP!”

“...kasateh tu,” said not-Link in deadpan confusion.

“Zelda?” whispered the king, his axe falling to the side as his eyes went wide. “But- how are you- this isn’t possible!”

“Get away from him,” she hissed, her voice tearing at her throat with every syllable.

“Wh- you are in no position to give me orders, young lady!”

She laughed, and it drew blood- she was certainly not young, and she was _very_ much in a position to give orders. “Either leave this place, or I will make you leave,” she told him, holding up her left hand and showing him what power she held.

“Zelda, I… I don’t understand.”

“No, you don’t. Just… go. Just go.”

The king stared at her in something akin to betrayal, and his gaze never left her even as he faded from sight. Flora choked on a cough, falling to her knees on the soft blood-soaked grass.

“Kasanu?”

Flora looked up suddenly, having forgotten that not-Link was even present. This would be interesting… he didn’t remember Common, but, maybe he remembered Zoran Sign? _“My name is F-L-O-R-A,”_ she told him, making sure her signs were slow and deliberate. _“Can you understand me?”_

Not-Link looked amazed. “Ek sasak’tu nu,” he told her, which Flora was certain was a way of saying ‘yes’. “Kasaru teh? Kasaru nu beh onu’tenu bo beh? Kasateh kahgo gegre beh? Kasa-”

_“I’m sorry, but, I can’t understand what you’re saying,”_ Flora told him sadly. She should have paid more attention, should have tried to learn alongside him…

Not-Link frowned at her, before nodding. He paused to rub some of the tears off his face, smearing his body paint in the process. “Eknava… ek bo sasak nunu tekuun zu tu.”

_“If you’re apologizing, then stop,”_ Flora told him, guessing off of his tone. _“Your family just died, even if it’s temporary. You can be sad.”_

Not-Link stared at her, surprised, before his composure broke, and tears began to flow again. He knelt down on the ground next to her, opening his arms as if asking permission. Flora nodded- this was the whole reason she’d done this, after all. To give him the help he needed.

Not-Link pulled her close and sobbed, staining her shirt with tears as she ran a hand through his hair.

_It’s okay, my knight. No-one will stop you from crying today._

\---

Vatekru awoke early the next morning, having offered the golden light-hunter a blanket and place to sleep away from the rest of the camp, as well as setting up a small fire for her, to keep the stalfos away.

They’d done this so many times before. It hurt, yes, but it was a distant pain, one that came with the knowledge that the moon would rise again.

What if the Good King didn’t bring them back this time? Vatekru knew their family was going against his wishes by keeping him alive. He felt no anger against the Good King- why hate a force of nature, after all? It would be like hating the rain for falling. It was pointless. 

But the possibility still remained.

Vatekru moved each of their bodies carefully, organizing them around the main campfire, with their heads all in the middle, and each of them gazing up at the sky with empty eyes.

They sighed, taking out their knife, and beginning.

Gruruva was the first one- Vatekru knew he’d be offended otherwise. He’d been the one to teach them how to do this _right,_ to be better than some wild animal feeding off the dead. Each organ that was of any use was removed slowly and carefully, as to not damage the bones, then placed within the glowing rock Vatekru still wore at their hip. The heart, the lungs, the liver, and so on.

Not the horns and teeth, though. Vatekru would not dishonor them in that way. 

\---

Flora watched him silently as not-Link moved from body to body, opening each one up with perfect precision, before storing each organ he removed in the Sheikah Slate. She hadn’t even known it could do that, and he’d figured it out in just a few weeks of using it.

She’d been disgusted by this when she first woke up, but hadn’t moved to stop him. Whatever this ritual was, he needed it. He was still mourning, yes, but he was quieter now, more at peace.

He’d saved the Moblin for last, and was now closing up the opening he’d cut, using a wooden needle and some kind of thread, before moving the creature’s hands to its chest in a familiar position. Rather than closing its eyes, though, he opened them, placing its head so that it was looking up at the last stars of morning.

“Eknava nu zutetu nu bo ven ek tekuun teh,” not-Link muttered, not looking up from the dead Moblin. “Ek sasak bo kasaru teh tu sasrus nu gegre.”

_“I don’t understand what any of this is,”_ Flora admitted, _“but you seem like you’re doing better.”_

Not-Link nodded. “Teva. Nunu onu gebonak tu onu gebo’vateh naka’va.” 

Flora bit her lips. _“I wish I could understand you like you understand me. I… I can’t talk very well. Just sign. Do you remember how to do that?”_

Not-Link shook his head. “Bo. Ek sasak bo.”

_“I kind of thought so. But… well, I’m waiting for some friends of mine to arrive,”_ she told him, knowing it was a rather vague explanation. _“I’ll make sure they don’t hurt you, don’t worry. They’re not like…”_ She trailed off, not wanting to tell him her relation to the man that had killed the Bokoblins. _“But in the meantime, maybe you can teach me? You can’t sign, and I can’t speak, but if you understand my signs, maybe I could understand your language?” Then eventually I can start teaching you Common,_ she added mentally.

Not-Link grinned. “Ek sasak ek tu ru teh.”

\---

Vatekru had found a new place for themself and the golden light-hunter to rest. It was near enough to the old camp that it was still in their tribe’s territory, which also let them check to make sure the campfire was still going. It was also near fresh water, which they knew was usually important for light-hunters.

They spent the days talking with the golden light-hunter, who called herself ‘Flora’ and called them ‘Link’, though they soon told her their actual name, as well as what it meant. Flora was delighted to learn they could cook, and they showed her how to fish without using tools, and what fruits and things were safe to eat and would taste good with the fish.

Flora taught them a lot of things about the world outside the Plateau- such as the fact that there _was_ a world outside the Plateau in the first place. Apparently, the Good King, who she called ‘Ganon’, had destroyed most light-hunter places and the many many people who had lived there. Six chosen Champions had fought against the Good King, and all died. She wouldn’t tell them more about these Champions though.

In turn, Vatekru taught her _beh’tebeva,_ the language of Moblins and Bokoblins and any other beings under the Good King’s moon. She learned even quicker than they had, which they admitted made them a bit jealous. Even if she couldn’t speak it back to them, she clearly understood, and was fascinated by everything they told her.

“ _I never knew Bokoblins were so socially complex,_ ” she admitted. _“Until the Calamity showed up, they were mostly just nuisances- and afterwards, they tried to kill any person they saw._ ”

“The Good King tells them they must,” they explained to her. “If they do bad, he doesn’t bring them back. Leaves them as stalfos until he decides they have learned.”

_“That’s horrible.”_

“That is what is. I cannot change the Good King’s will. I do not like it, but without him I would have no family.” They paused. “No family but you. You are family, I think.”

Flora blushed. _“Thank you. And… I’m sorry about them.”_

“You did stop the one who did kill them,” said Vatekru, shrugging. “You did not kill them.”

_“No, but… the person who did it is my dad._ ”

“Ah,” said Vatekru. “Then I am sorry you had to know him.”

Flora’s hands floundered as she tried to put words together. _“That’s not very nice!”_

“Neither was he.”

_“Well… that is true.”_

“You say he was king to your people, yes? You are his heir.”

_“There’s nothing left to rule. Central Hyrule is just rubble now.”_

“Yes, but he is dead and you are not,” Vatekru reasoned. “You are boss now.”

Flora laughed silently. _“Yes. I am boss now.”_

\---

Vatekru.

His name was Vatekru.

It meant ‘good cook’, essentially, and he lived up to his name.

He was decent with a bow, better with a sword, and he liked the color blue. He didn’t like having his hair down, but liked having it long. He never used a shield, saying it would just slow him down. He loved swimming but refused to put his head underwater. He was blind and deaf on his left side but didn’t mind. He was clumsy when he wasn’t focused on a task. And he was both one hundred years old, and less than a month old.

Flora watched him as he tended to the campfire, holding himself on one knuckle and the balls of his feet, moving silently against ground.

This was not Link. This was not a knight.

But… what other choice did they have?

He was the only one who could wield the Master Sword. The only one who could end the Calamity. And… he was raised by the very monsters he was destined to destroy.

Flora could see a lot of herself in him, in a way. Being driven away from what he loved, because there was something more important than him. 

Maybe she could just let Vatekru stay. Let him live out his life here. She could hold back the Calamity as long as she needed to.

(And when she closed her eyes at night, when there was no body for her to focus on, all she saw was Malice, choking her ethereal body.)

...no. This was his choice. Not hers, not the other Champions’- his. And she would not let anyone take that from him.

“Flora.”

_“Yeah?”_

“Vertu vahwekbeh.” _Vertu, that’s… place, and present tense, then Vahwekbeh- vahwek is bird, so… ‘there is a talking bird here’?_

Flora stared at him. _“...talking bird?”_

Vatekru nodded, before pointing off in the distance. There, in the field, was a familiar shape, one of dark feathers and jade jewelry.

_Revali._

Flora grinned, jumping up from where she sat and dragging Vatekru along with her. He pulled back, startled at the sudden touch. Flora grimaced, starting to sign an apology, but Vatekru shook his head and gestured for her to lead the way.

Revali… they’d been able to communicate, before, but never actually _see_ each other, same with the other Champions. She’d called for them to help, but she had no idea if all of them would even listen. And out of all of them, she had expected Revali to not even bother, knowing his grudge towards Link. But he was _here._

“Teboru’va vahwek,” noted Vatekru flatly. _That’s a big bird._

Revali jerked his head to the side, noticing the pair for the first time, and grinning. “Well then. You took your time, then, didn’t you?”

Flora felt tears welling up in her eyes. _“_ I didn’t think you would come.”

“Oh, please, as if I could pass up a chance to see Link acting like an idiot,” Revali told her, scoffing. “Where is the guy, anyways?”

Flora stilled. _He doesn’t recognize him. Of course- Rito focus on things like clothing and physical features since they can’t recognize Hylian faces very well. Vatekru must look like a complete stranger to him._

“Onutu’teh teboru’va vahwek beh tu?” asked Vatekru, tapping Flora on her shoulder. “Nu sasrus rubo.” _What is the big bird saying? He seems rude._

_“Just a second,”_ signed Flora. _“Is it okay if I talk with him alone for a bit?”_

Vatekru nodded. “Va.”

Flora let out a sigh as he went off into the forest, probably looking for deer or something. “That is Vatekru,” she told Revali.

“He raised by Bokoblins or something?”

“...yes, actually.”

Revali grimaced. “I said that as a joke and I wish I hadn’t. Seriously, where is Link? I thought this whole thing was to help him save the world or some shit.”

“...Link is gone. Vatekru was the only person that came out of the Shrine.”

Revali stared at her. “You’re not joking, are you?”

Flora shook her head. “He isn’t Link. Same face, same body, even the same fighting style. But no memories. He doesn’t even understand Common.”

Revali shook his head. “No. No way. He- he isn’t dead, I would have seen him!” he insisted, his feathers puffing up. “This is some kind of sick joke!”

“It’s not. I’m so sorry, but it’s not.” Flora had never realized what Link meant to Revali until now- the way he reacted wasn’t how a rival might, but how a _friend_ might. It was the same anger she’d seen on Vatekru just a few nights before.

“...fuck.” Revali ran his hand over his beak, staring at nothing. “Just… _fuck._ ”

Flora sighed, nodding. “I think that about sums it up.”

“Do the others know?”

“You’re the first one here.”

“Ouch.” Revali was quick to compose himself again, but the grief was still there in his eyes. “That’s gotta sting.”

“Oh, hush.”

“So what now? We’re down one Chosen Hero and all we’ve got now is some feral child. You’re not gonna send him off to die, I hope.”

Flora shook her head. “I’m going to tell him the situation soon. I was kind of hoping you’d help me with that- I think he’d actually like your sense of humor.”

“Ah, so this one is an improvement, then.”

Flora ignored him. “After that, it’s up to him what he wants to do. But I’m going to go with him. He shouldn’t have to do any of this alone.”

Revali stared at her intently. “Bit of a role reversal there. The princess following her knight.”

“A princess of nothing. A child of monsters. We haven’t just reversed the roles, we’ve broken them.” Flora shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe this time it’ll work out.”

\---

Ihidren was dead.

Revali could hardly think over the screaming in his head. Ihidren was _gone._ If he’d been dead, Revali could’ve handled it- he was dead too, after all. 

But no. He wasn’t just dead. He was gone for good.

And it broke Revali’s heart all over again.

The princess didn’t even know his real name, just knew him as ‘Link’- and who could blame her? There were barely a dozen people who knew him as anything other than the nameless Hylian Champion.

Revali could see some of him in this- this monster child. His eyes were the same. His face, his build. But that was where it ended.

Ihidren’s smile was gone. His laugh was gone. His sarcastic huffs of annoyance were gone. Everything was gone. 

_gone, gone, gone, gone, gone-_

He tried to pay attention to Flora’s story, to her retelling of what happened a hundred years ago. But he couldn’t.

_“He gave up his life to try and save everyone. He was a hero.”_

What’s the use of being a hero when you’re dead?

What’s the use of being a hero when you’re _gone?_

“I need some space,” Revali said suddenly, probably interrupting Flora’s signs. He didn’t care right now.

The only good thing in this world was gone.

And Revali hadn’t even said goodbye.

\---

Vatekru sat on the cliffside, staring out at the world. They’d come to this spot a few times now- it was a good place to sit and think, away from everyone else.

They could see the red-orange tint on the horizon, and it gave them hope.

‘Calamity Ganon’... what would happen if they did kill him? Would the Blood Moons stop? If they did, would that be a good thing?

They had been a knight.

They had been a _hero._

And they forgot.

How do you even forget something like that? Forget that you _died?_ Ruvena had died more than any of the others, and she so often woke up in the middle of the night _screaming_ because she could still feel the arrow piercing her skull.

They’d never seen another light-hunter before Flora. They didn’t know that their left hand should look like their right hand. After all, Bokoblins had two fingers and a thumb, and so did Vatekru’s left hand. Why should they think that strange? And it wasn’t like they could remember ever being able to see out their left eye.

Vatekru lifted their hand, letting the moonlight wash through their fingers. Now that they looked, _really_ looked, they could see the mottled skin for what it was- burn scars. Same as on their face.

(If they closed their eyes, they could almost see that same hand raised, unscarred, as a last line of defense against something horrible. Something that tore through their hand and into their skull.)

They didn’t _have_ to do _anything._ They could just stay here. Stay with their family. Why should they care about a bunch of light-hunters they’d never met before? 

Vatekru sighed. This was the first time they’d seen the Blood Moon in person, and… it was beautiful. Beautiful beyond anything they’d seen. It _called_ to them, deep within their soul. 

Could something that beautiful truly be evil?

They closed their eyes, and gave in to the pull against their heart.

\---

**Your family will be rewarded, little one**

**Those you call your friends will always be safe under my moon**

**But I will give you this warning**

**I cannot change the Blood Moon’s pull**

**Be careful, little Hero**

\---

She’d died so many times before. More than she could count. That was why she’d come to this Plateau in the first place- to get away from the light-hunters.

How ironic, then, that she would die protecting one light-hunter from another.

Ruvenva groaned, rubbing at her eyes. She was in an unfamiliar area, though based on the trees around her it couldn’t be all that far from camp. She looked down at her hands, unsurprised to find them covered in blood.

The Good King’s moons were both a blessing and a curse- or rather, a blessing with a silver lining. You can never die, but under the red moon’s light, you will be nothing more than a feral, destructive beast.

No wonder the light-hunters called them ‘monsters’.

Ruvenva got to her feet slowly, stepping around the gory remains of… probably a boar? She couldn’t even tell. The rest of her family was sleeping nearby, having eaten their fill- that was sure to result in a few stomach bugs in the coming days. It was a good thing Kabava knew so much about medicine and herbs, they’d never get by without him. Vatekru would probably end up stealing half them to make a meal with-

_Vatekru_

Ruvenva rose quickly to her feet, eyes wide with panic. Vatekru was with them, curled around Zaruva’s arm in a way that should have been cute if not for the current circumstances. Were they affected by the Blood Moon as well? _How?_ Had… had they done this? 

No. No, they- that couldn’t be. Something must’ve happened. Right? 

_We did this to them. We stole away an innocent child and turned them into a monster._

Ruvenva felt like she was going to throw up, and it wasn’t because of whatever she’d eaten. She needed to do _something._ This wasn’t right.

The others might not approve- but, she was their leader, their _nahava_! But, she had never been as close to Vatekru as Zaruva and Kabava and Zuwekbo had. They might not listen to her on this, and they would have every right.

No. She had to do this, and she had to do this now.

As carefully as she could, Ruvenva lifted Vatekru into her arms, holding them as she would an infant. Their clothing had been largely undamaged, and the bloodstains could be washed out with some white chuchu jelly. They seemed mostly unhurt, except for their feet, which were covered in scratches- probably from running through the forest without paying attention to where they walked.

For a moment, Ruvenva wanted to scold them for that.

She didn’t.

Finding the other light-hunter wasn’t hard- not only were they fairly nearby, they reeked of magic. For now, well… Ruvenva just had to hope they wouldn’t shoot her before she could set Vatekru down safely.

\---

“I can’t believe I lost him already.”

“Don’t fret, little bird,” Urbosa told Flora gently. For a moment she tried to pat Flora’s shoulder reassuringly, but her hand just passed through. 

“He’s probably just processing,” said Mipha, leaning against the interior wall of the little house they’d commandeered. Flora was pretty sure her father had put it together somehow, but she really didn’t care. “He was just told he was destined to save the world.”

“Perhaps he’s just remembered something,” Urbosa offered. “You said he still understood Zoran Sign, and that he retained many of his skills. Who’s to say he’ll not remember more as time goes on?”

“He won’t,” snapped Revali. “You didn’t see him. Link is _gone,_ so stop pretending he’s not.”

Mipha and Urbosa both glared at him furiously. “I don’t understand this, Revali,” Mipha told him. “I know you never liked him, but this is too much!”

Flora stayed silent. She knew the truth, but she also knew that Revali wouldn’t appreciate her speaking it.

Urbosa sighed. “We’re still waiting on Daruk. Do you think he’s going to come?”

“He was good friends with Link,” Mipha noted. “I can’t imagine he wouldn’t.”

Revali huffed. “I’m going outside to see if we’re gonna get attacked again,” he muttered, phasing through the cabin door, leaving an echo of ghostfire in his wake.

And then he immediately ran back inside with a look of terror on his face.

“Revali? What’s wrong?” asked Mipha.

“There is a very large Moblin carrying Va- Link’s body and both of them are covered in blood.”

“ _WHAT!?_ ”

“ _Look I’m just telling you what I saw please don’t shoot the messenger-_ ”

The other three immediately ran outside, with Flora leaving the door half-open behind her. Just as Revali had said, a Moblin with dark blue skin and bright yellow markings was carrying Vatekru, though Flora could see that he was still breathing. Both of them looked exhausted, and were splattered with blood and gore from who-knows-what.

“Kasnava bo ven nunbo Vatekru,” growled the Moblin, its guttural voice making the words sound less like words and more like angry grunts. The three Champions all looked ready to fight, but Flora waved at them to stand down.

_I really should have tried to actually replicate what Vatekru taught me… I guess I’ll have to try._ “Uh… kasa zu… _happened, did happen? What’s the word for that…_ ”

The Moblin stared in surprise as Flora continued to mumble to herself. “Nu sasak ekbah?”

“You know their language?” asked Urbosa, surprised. “I wouldn’t have guessed.”

“Link taught it to me,” Flora explained to her. “I can understand it, but replicating it is a lot harder.”

“Let me,” Mipha insisted, smiling softly, showing her razor-sharp teeth before she turned to look at the Moblin. “Kasaru zu’rho? Nuru tebeva?”

Flora stared at her. “After this I want answers, Mipha.”

“Teva, ekru tebeva,” agreed the Moblin, nodding. “Zu gebo gebo’vateh naka’va. Vatekru zuru gru. Ek sesak bo kasa tu. Kasnava…” It knelt down, placing Vatekru’s body carefully on the ground.

“What did it say?” asked Urbosa, amazed.

“Not it, she,” Mipha corrected, blushing blue. “And- when she first came here, she asked us not to hurt ‘Vatekru’, which I assume is Link, then I asked her what had happened and if she was a friend. She said that, yes, she was, and that last night was… she called it a ‘moon that is good to all’. I think she meant the Blood Moon. She said that Vatekru ‘hunted’ and that she didn’t know why this was.”

“Tu gebo’vateh naka’va, naka boko, mobu, luzavos, lenu- eknu gru,” the Moblin told them solemnly, leaning on its- or rather, her, knuckles as she watched Flora check over Vatekru’s wounds. “Naharu’va naka ven teh.”

“At the moon that is good to all, all Bokoblins, Moblins, Lizalfos, Lynels- we hunt,” Mipha translated. “The good king of all makes this.”

Urbosa nodded. “I remember- when the Blood Moons started appearing, the monsters would go berserk. They’d attack anything that moved that wasn’t one of their own. We stopped trying to reason with them completely.”

“Yes, your people had some trade with your neighbors, didn’t you?” asked Mipha. “I think I remember that.”

Flora looked between them. “I… I was always taught that the hidden races were all monsters,” she admitted. “Even before the Calamity.”

“I’m not surprised,” said Urbosa. “Hylians have always liked to think themselves above everything. I’m not blaming you for this, princess,” she added. “Only saying that is what your forefathers have tried to pass to you.”

“Kasa ek gah wek?” asked the Moblin, reminding the group she was still there.

Mipha nodded. “Nu gah tu. Eknu ektetu Vatekru va onu.” The Moblin looked relieved, and returned to the forest, glancing back a few times to check on Vatekru, but finally vanishing into the trees.

“Link must have been pulled into that same madness,” mused Urbosa. “The ‘good king of all’- Calamity Ganon, I suppose. But… why? How?”

Flora shook her head. “I don’t know. I’m just going to get him inside for now.”

“He doesn’t look badly hurt,” Mipha noted as Flora lifted him off the ground with surprising ease- he was a lot lighter than he looked. “I… well, I don’t think any of that blood is _his._ ”

Flora nodded. “I’m going to stay with him,” she told the others, placing Vatekru in the shoddy excuse for a bed, which was unfortunately all they had. “You guys can look around for Daruk if you want. I don’t think he’d react well to a bunch of strangers.”

Mipha and Urbosa both agreed, heading their separate ways through the doors of the cabin. Revali remained though, perched on a ledge, watching over the room. 

“I’m guessing you heard all that?”

Revali hummed. “I knew he’d gone native, but this is a bit much.”

Flora rolled her eyes. “Stop that. I know you’re worried about him. And could you not sit so far away?”

“What, you don’t like me having the high ground?”

“...it hurts to talk loudly,” Flora admitted, rubbing at her throat. “Anything more than a whisper, really.”

Revali paused, then nodded, hopping down onto the ground and sitting at the foot of the bed. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to,” he offered. 

Flora smiled. “Thank you,” she told him, dropping to a comfortable whisper. “I’m not very good at this, am I? Being a goddess.”

Revali shrugged. “It’s hardly like we have any real point of comparison,” he told her. “By the way- I don’t know how to make them, but honey candies will help with the throat. Honey tea, too, but I never liked that stuff.”

“I’m surprised you know that.”

“Singing classes are mandatory in Rito schooling,” Revali grumbled, crossing his wings in annoyance, making Flora laugh. “Wh- hey! You try singing for hours on end and see how you like it!”

“No, no, it’s just-” Flora waved her hands about. “I can’t stop thinking of just, you as a child, all tiny and fluffy and full of rage and drama.”

Revali cackled. “Rage? Absolutely. Drama? That one took years to perfect. That’s a _talent,_ princess.”

Flora laughed until she started coughing again, which unfortunately wasn’t very long. “Oh goodness,” she wheezed, smiling. “I needed that. I haven’t laughed like that since- well. Since we were all alive.”

“I think you probably count as ‘alive’,” Revali argued.

“Maybe, but…” Her smile faltered. “I don’t like the idea that, of the six of us, I was the only one who made it.”

The humor left the room quickly, and Revali sighed, looking down at Vatekru. “Oh.”

“Yeah.”

“...wow, way to ruin the mood, princess.”

“ _Oh, hush-_ ”

\---

They didn’t tell him about what happened under the Blood Moon.

It was Revali’s suggestion- “The guy’s _already_ dealing with a half-dozen existential crises,” he’d said, and they agreed.

He didn’t tell them about the fear in Vatekru’s eyes. About how he woke up in a panic. About how scared he was that he’d forgotten something.

Revali didn’t blame him. He’d been told that he used to be someone else, and had forgotten. Urbosa and Mipha and eventually Daruk, when he showed up- they all acted like Ihidren was still in there somewhere, that ‘Vatekru’ wasn’t real.

They’d never say it in any words, of course. But the feelings were there. And Revali had a hunch that Vatekru had noticed.

It was two days after the Blood Moon, now. They were trying to teach him Common, figuring he’d need to know when- _if_ he left the Plateau. He still hadn’t agreed to anything.

Revali found him sitting on a rock next to… either a small pond or a glorified puddle, but it was big enough to have a few small fish in it. Vatekru was crouched over it, trying his best to grab the fish with his hands, and looking more and more frustrated with each failed attempt.

“Having fun?”

Vatekru looked over his shoulder to glare at Revali. “ _Ek gah onu rho ek’mu,_ ” he growled, making Revali huff.

“Still can’t understand you, monster boy.”

“Want. Alone.” Vatekru made another grab at one of the fish, scaring all of them off to the other corner of the puddle-pond. “ _Nahana! Sesabo bluuk nen!_ ” Revali laughed- even if he couldn’t understand the words, seeing the kid yell at a bunch of fish was still funny. Vatekru glared at him. “You do bad too! No laugh!”

“You haven’t seen me _try_ yet,” Revali countered, before realizing that, as a ghost, he _couldn’t_ try. “Here, let me show you.”

“You teach?”

“Yeah, yeah, c’mere.”

Vatekru peered at him suspiciously, but stood up and circled around the pond to stand next to Revali, who pointed at his shadow on the ground.

“See? Now the fish can’t see you coming. And you’ll want something better than your hands to grab them with.”

“Bettah,” Vatekru muttered to himself. “ _Vengru va. Vengru tu_ ‘bettah’, _ek sasakru._ ” He jogged over to the treeline, only slipping in the mud once, and came back with a small stick and a rock. “ _Ek ven_ ‘bettah’,” he told Revali. “I make bettah.”

“Bett _er,_ ” Revali corrected, as Vatekru began sharpening the stick into a spear, sloppily chipping away at the layers of wood. “I’d give you tips on the pronunciation but Hylian mouths are weird.”

“Bett-ar? _Bo, bo…_ beh- better. Beh-tur. Better.”

“That’s more like it.”

Vatekru smiled, and Revali’s heart ached for the person he wasn’t. “ _Vengru,_ ” he said, gesturing at the makeshift spear. “ _Kasatu vengru?_ ”

“Spear? Stick? Weapon? I dunno, you’re being vague as hell,” Revali said, shrugging. “But yeah, that should work alright.”

It didn’t take long for Vatekru to snag a few fish, since his prey had no-where they could really go. Revali watched him with uncharacteristic silence as he stored them in his Sheikah Slate. It was bizarre seeing such advanced technology in the hands of a feral child, yet at the same time it seemed as much a part of Vatekru as his hands or his hair.

“The others are looking for you, y’know,” Revali mused after some time.

Vatekru frowned. “I know. I want alone. I want… small think. Happy.”

_He wants some peace and quiet,_ Revali thought. _I can’t blame him._

“I don’ think big,” Vatekru mused. “I not know things. They want me know these things. I not happy. They not happy. I… _ek tu sasabo_. Bad think? Not know?”

“Dumb,” Revali said quietly. “You’re not dumb, Vatekru.”

Vatekru gave him a flat look. “I not know get fish,” he pointed out. “You laugh.” Revali grimaced, but nodded. “They not laugh, _onu’tehnu_ they not happy I not know things. They want… other me. Better me.”

Revali sighed. _Great. Just great. All of us are shitty parents._ “They miss their friend,” he explained. “They want you to be him.”

“I _am_ him!” Vatekru argued. “I not know now, _onu’tehnu_ I _onu_ know!”

“ _Onu,_ that’s, what, ‘will happen’?” asked Revali. “Not now, but later?” He gestured with his wing to try and get his point across, and Vatekru seemed to understand.

“ _Zu,_ ” he said, gesturing behind him. “ _Tu._ ” He pointed at the ground. “ _Onu_.” He gestured off in the distance.

“Did happen, is happening, will happen, then. So you’re saying you don’t know now but you will know?”

“Yah. They want me know.”

_They want you to be someone you arent._

Revali gave Vatekru a wan smile. “Well then. Good luck with that.”

\---

Common, Vatekru had decided, was a dumb language.

You had to change the entire word based on if it was past, present, or future; everything had to be in a certain order; there were pointless filler words- it was dumb and he hated it and it was dumb.

The people teaching him weren’t dumb, though. They were kind and patient, and taught Vatekru a lot of things they didn’t know before, like how to fight in different ways.

But there was one thing Vatekru didn’t understand.

“Flora is ‘she’,” he reasoned while going through the motions Daruk had shown them. “Mipha and Urbosa are ‘she’. You an’ Revali and I are ‘he’. Why is this?”

Daruk stared at him for a long while, before sighing. “Kid,” he said solemnly, “I am literally the _worst_ person to answer this question.”

“What question?” asked Mipha, walking over. “Sorry, I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I saw you stopped training…”

Daruk groaned. “He’s asking why some people are ‘he’ and others are ‘she’.”

Mipha blushed blue. “Oh. Ah, well, um… some people are girls, and some people are boys,” she explained. “Not everyone, mind you, but that’s the easiest way to put it.”

Vatekru nodded slowly. “‘kay. Wha’s a girl?”

“OKAY, LESSON’S OVER,” Daruk announced loudly while Mipha’s face turned even more blue. “C’mon, little buddy, let’s get you inside before it gets dark.”

Vatekru decided not to ask about it after that, if everyone else was going to react the same.

But it was a very dumb thing to have in a language if you couldn’t talk about it.

\---

“We have… a _problem,_ ” Flora announced, walking over to the campsite she and Vatekru- _no, Link, he’s Link now-_ had set up. 

“You can’t find any frogs,” guessed Revali.

“Wh- no, that’s not-”

“Nayru called and she wants a refund,” said Mipha with a grin.

“ _No,_ that’s-”

“All of your left socks have gone missing,” offered Daruk.

Flora sighed. “Anyone else?”

“Not really.”

“Nope.”

“Good. Because the problem is that my father is a jerk.”

“We know this thing?” said Link, cocking his head to the side. “Tha’s not new.”

“There’s some kind of spell surrounding the Plateau,” Flora explained. “I… I talked to him, tried to get him to stop. But he’s insisting that Link has to ‘prove himself’ or something before either of us can leave.”

“He’s not even a year old, how’s he gonna prove anything,” drawled Revali.

“I don’t know! That’s just what he said!”

“He’s been on this Plateau longer than anyone else,” Mipha reasoned. “We don’t even know how the four of us can even be here. If he says we’re trapped, then we’re trapped.”

“We can’t just let him decide the kid’s fate!” argued Revali. “He didn’t sign up for any of this, _we_ did!”

“Maybe this could help,” suggested Daruk. “Jog some old memories.”

Urbosa nodded. “Agreed. Link is going to need whatever help he can get out there.”

“What is _that_ supposed to mean!?”

“Oh, _hush,_ Revali, you know perfectly well-”

“Guys, let’s just all relax-”

“You’re not involved in this-”

“STOP!”

The arguments all froze, staring at Link, who had drawn his sword from his Slate. “Kid?” mumbled Revali, looking concerned.

“I’ll do this thing,” Link told them. “End th’ Good- th’ Calamity. Make things better.”

Flora frowned. “Link, you don’t have to-”

“I do have to. I am… I want t’ be th’ hero I was,” Link said quietly. “I want t’ _remember._ ”

“...he’s right,” said Daruk. “He’s the only one who can hold that fancy sword of his, and he knows how to use it.”

“We’ll jump through the hoops the old king set for us,” Urbosa reasoned. “Play his game for now.”

Flora sighed. “Link… please think about this.”

“I _have_ thought,” Link told her. “I have t’ do this. But,” he added, smiling, “I don’ have t’ do it alone. Right?”

\---

“You must face this trial on your own, child.”

“ _...why?_ ”

“A hero must be able to stand on his own, _fight_ on his own. Not rely on friends you might not always have.”

Link glared at the old man, who he already knew was the dead king, Flora’s father. But he hadn’t said that. 

Flora didn’t want her father knowing she was still interfering with his grand design, or whatever this was, and said that he probably hadn’t seen her for very long. The Champions told her that he hadn’t been nearby, waiting instead by the various Shrines that dotted the landscape, waiting for Link. He didn’t know Flora had built a body for herself, and Link was pretty sure she didn’t want him to know.

So now, Link and Zaruva stood in front of the little alcove by the Shrine of Resurrection, both looking very unhappy. The old man had insisted that he was only trying to protect Link from what he thought were attackers, and Zaruva didn’t buy a word of it once Link translated for him. He knew how to be diplomatic, though, and remained quiet.

“What if he doesn’t help?” asked Link. “Jus’ makes sure I don’ die, instead. Keeps me safe.”

The old man chuckled. “The Shrines are built so that no-one can be killed by their puzzles. You will be fine.”

“...fine.”

“Oh, and, one more thing,” the old man added, once Link had started walking away. “There’s something on your map you’ll want to check out first. You might find things difficult, otherwise.”

_Your face is difficult,_ thought Link bitterly.

“ _I don’t like him,_ ” grumbled Zaruva.

Link laughed, switching to _beh’tebeva_ with ease. “ _I also don’t like him. He has things I want, though._ ”

“ _Kill him and take these things._ ”

“ _He’s already dead, Zaruva._ ”

“ _Kill him again, then._ ”

\---

Flora was pretty sure she was one more bad thing away from screaming.

Link’s Bokoblin friend had carried him back to the cabin in a panic, explaining he’d activated some kind of tower and had missed a step when climbing back down. Flora wasn’t an expert, but she knew for a fact that legs weren’t supposed to bend that way.

Then, all four of the Champions had vanished, all of them looking terrified. Revali and Mipha were the only ones to return, reporting that all of their Divine Beasts had become hostile, and that Daruk and Urbosa had stayed behind to try and re-take control. 

On top of all that, dozens of massive glowing towers had sprouted from the ground, almost certainly destroying anything that might have been built on top of them, as well as pushing a good amount of rubble around.

And she couldn’t even take a damn nap without ‘waking up’ surrounded by Malice.

She really missed coffee.

\---

“You said one shrine! One treasure an’ you give me th’ paraglider!”

“And now I’m saying four. Unless you’re not up to the task?”

“ _Ek gru nu onu nunbo._ ”

“Pardon me?”

“I said, ‘yes, I will do this thing’.”

“Glad to see we’re on the same page.”

\---

“FLORA!”

“Wh- Link? I thought you were on the north side?”

“I WAS! FLORA I C’N DO MAGIC NOW!”

Flora stared in amazement as Link tapped at his Slate and vanished into glowing threads of energy, which vanished into thin air. In the distance, she could hear the sound of cheering.

_...since when could the Slate do_ **_that_ ** _!?_

\---

“Link.”

Link groaned. “What d’you want, Revali?”

“What have we learned from this, Link.”

“...that th’ weird glowy magic makes me feel like I’m dying if I use it a lot.”

“And how did we learn this?”

“Because I used th’ weird glowy magic a lot b’cause I thought it was fun.”

Revali nodded sagely as Link continued to massage his aching head. “This is what you get for scaring the crap out of me.”

“ _I said I was sorry-_ ”

\---

“So, what, Bokoblin guts have some kind of magic in them now?”

Link shrugged. “Yah? Makes, uh- magic drink? Don’ know th’ word.”

“Elixirs,” answered Flora, amazed. “You can use them to make elixirs. Link, do you know what this means?”

“... ‘magic drink’?”

“No, no, I-” Flora shook her head. “Before the Calamity, getting the materials needed to make elixirs was _incredibly_ difficult. The main components were easy enough, but finding a catalyst, especially one of any quality? Even the royal alchemists had a hard time with that.”

Link nodded slowly. “So… you c’n make good elixirs now?”

Flora grimaced. “I have absolutely no idea, I’ve never tried it before.”

Link held up the Sheikah Slate, showing a large collection of teeth, horns, eyeballs, guts- just about everything except for bones. “No reason not to now.”

\---

“I have good news an’ bad news.”

“Okay… start with the good news, I guess?”

“I got th’ next Shrine thingy an’ also got a buncha butterflies f’r you.”

“...and the bad news?”

“I mighta got shot at by an angry acorn robot with lasers.”

“Did you get _hit?_ ”

“ _...maybe._ ”

“Wh- oh goddesses, GO TALK TO MIPHA!”

“I DON’ WANT HER T’ BE MAD AT ME?”

“LINK YOU ARE _BLEEDING-_ ”

\---

“He has bombs now,” said Mipha flatly, walking into the cabin with a blank, distant expression. “ _Infinite bombs, Flora._ ”

Flora nodded. “Yup.”

“We’re all doomed.”

“ _Yup._ ”

\---

“You look ridiculous.”

Link growled angrily. “Thanks, Revali.”

“I mean, really- we already know the guy’s a ghost, he doesn’t need to keep up this whole pretense of being some random Hylian,” Revali mused, treading through the snow with ease. “Though I’m certainly not complaining about seeing you look like an angry hatchling.”

Link huffed, burying himself further in the massive coat the king had given him. “It’s either this or drink one of Flora’s ‘elixirs’.”

“I thought you said she was improving.”

“She is! They actually work now! They jus’... also taste like death itself. Which _is_ an improvement on tastin’ like death _an’_ not workin’ at _all!_ ”

“Yell at me a bit louder, I don’t think you finished waking up those Bokoblins over there.”

Link yelped in surprise as an arrow flew by him, burying itself in the snow. “This is your fault!”

Revali shrugged as a second arrow passed through him harmlessly. “Probably.”

Link rolled his eyes, groaning, but still summoned his bow with ease and took aim. “Thanks.”

“Any time, kid.”

\---

Link was pretty sure the dead king was telling him something very important, based on the dramatic reveal he did. Link was also pretty sure he didn’t actually care.

In fairness, it wasn’t that he didn’t care about the topic, but Flora and the others had already told him all of this, and they were much more interesting to listen to. It was the same story all over again- big bad goo monster showed up ten thousand years ago so the people made their own giant robot monsters to fight it, and they won. Then one hundred years ago the goo monster showed up again, so Revali, Mipha, Urbosa, and Daruk were chosen to pilot the robot monsters, and Flora had some kind of magic power but she didn’t know how to use it, and Link had been chosen to protect her. Then the goo monster took over all the robot monsters, killed their pilots, and Link had died trying to protect Flora.

He did learn one thing, though.

His name had never been ‘Link’. That was just an empty title, another word for ‘hey, you’. A name for the nameless.

His name was Ihidren Ordena. He’d had a family, even a little sister.

And he had forgotten them.

He’d forgotten his _family_.

He stumbled out of the tower that the king had spoken to him in, scaling the walls to enter the old, ruined temple. The Temple of Time, the Slate told him. 

Shrine- Vatekru- Link- Ihidren- _whoever_ he was- sat down against the massive statue that took up the back of the room. “I don’ wanna forget again,” he wept, not caring how pitiful he must sound. “I don’ wanna forget them. I wanna remember my family! I wanna… I wanna be th’ hero, like they think I am. Like I used t’ be.”

_...it has been a long time since someone has asked that of me_

Link sat up with a sharp gasp, looking around. “Who’s there?”

_I am the Goddess of Heroes_

_The patron to those who have taken up that mantle_

“You… c’n you help me?” he asked, eyes wide in the darkness. The voice in his head giggled childishly.

_Of course not_

_You are not Chosen_

_My powers would do nothing for you_

Link slumped over. “Oh. Well… thanks f’r talkin’ t’ me, at least. You seem nice.”

_You have many companions, do you not?_

_Why do you wish for another?_

“I don’ belong t’ th’ _tebeva’enku_ anymore,” Link told the voice, shrugging. “An’ the others all have some idea of who I should be, or who I used t’ be.”

_You seem quite comfortable speaking to a goddess_

“Ehehe… I prob’ly shouldn’t,” he admitted. “I’m sorry if I’m disrespectin’ you.”

_Don’t apologize_

_It’s rare I can talk to a mortal as an equal_

_I quite enjoy it, really_

“Flora don’ like bein’ treated all fancy either,” Link told the voice. “Even though she’s both a goddess an’ the queen, now. Says there’s nothin’ t’ be queen of anymore, an’ that bein’ a goddess don’ mean she’s not still a person.”

_What do I call you, little one?_

“That’s a… complicated question,” said Link, grimacing. “I don’ mind bein’ called ‘little one’ f’r now. Maybe I c’n tell you what my name is once I know what it is. I wouldn’t mind knowin’ your name, if that’s okay.”

_...my name is Farore_

_It is best you do not mention me to your friends_

_My name will mean much to them_

Link nodded. “I kinda like havin’ a secret friend,” he admitted. “Secret magic friend,” he added, making Farore laugh.

_Actually…_

_There may be one thing I can do for you_

_The Spirit Orbs you were given_

_They are meant as tokens, of sorts_

_But I can use them to help you_

“T’ help me? In what way?”

_I can… improve your energy_

_Let you move more quickly_

_Let you heal faster_

_Make you harder to kill_

“...would it hurt?” Link asked cautiously. “I mean- even if it does, I’m still sayin’ yes. I prob’ly shouldn’t, I should prob’ly be suspicious, but… I know I c’n trust you. I don’ know how, but I do.”

_I do not know_

_I have never tried this before_

_...which is probably not very reassuring_

Link shrugged. “I’ve done stupider things before.”

Farore sighed, but when Link retrieved the four Spirit Orbs from his Slate, a golden-green hand formed from the air, taking them, shaping them. Once it had finished, it pushed the energy towards Link, and-

\---

“Wake up, sleepy head.”

Link groaned, waking to a pounding headache. “Ow.”

Revali chuckled. “No kidding. What were you doing sleeping on the stone floor like that?” he asked. They were still sitting in the Temple of Time, with Revali perching on one of the smaller stone statues, looking down at Link.

“I had an existential crisis an’ then passed out.”

“That’s fair.”

“Got th’ paraglider though,” he added, pulling the item from his Slate. 

Revali squawked in indignance. “This- this is the same one I built with Ih- er, with you before!”

“Oh, yeah, the king also said my name used t’ be Ihidren,” Link added. “Which is kinda why I had an existential crisis.” He didn’t mention that it was mostly because he’d forgotten about his own family. He didn’t want Revali knowing Link might forget about him again.

“...do you want to be called that, then?”

“Nah. I’m already confused. I don’ wanna make things even worse.”

“You and me both, kid,” Revali sighed, sitting down on the ground next to Link. “So, uh… now what?”

“...go back t’ th’ cabin, I guess. I dunno.”

Revali nodded. “You’re still pretty determined about this, huh?”

Link let out a deep sigh. “You an’ th’ other Champions… you all talked ‘bout your homes. ‘bout how different they are now, ’cause of th’ Calamity.”

“They’ve been doing just fine for the last hundred years-”

“B’cause of Flora. B’cause she’s keepin’ them safe. An’ even then… I’ve heard what th’ Blood Moons do. I’ve been lucky t’ be able t’ sleep through them three times now. How things are now? It’s not good f’r anyone.”

Revali looked away. “You’re right. You’re _right,_ and I _hate it._ ”

“I’m not happy ‘bout it either,” Link huffed. “But I can’t jus’ sit around knowin’ that I c’n help people.”

“...you’re too damn good for this world.”

Link laughed. “I’m an amnesiac raised by Bokoblins, a goddess, and four ghosts. Th’ world don’ know what it’s in for.”

\---

They put together a plan, between the four of them- Link, Flora, Mipha, and Revali.

Link gathered as much food as he could, as well as weapons, tools, clothing- anything he thought they might need that the Slate would accept. He said his goodbyes to his _tebeva’enku_ , accepted all the gifts they forced on him.

Flora drew out a map of the Skylands from what she could remember, marking out where she knew the Divine Beasts to be. She marked down the locations of the Tower and Shrines on the Great Plateau as well- the Slate could keep track of them, sure, but she didn’t have one, and she wasn’t about to go into this unprepared.

Mipha returned to her own Divine Beast to scout it out, to make sure Link would know what he was up against. She scouted the area around Zora’s Domain as well, reporting back to Flora and helping her figure out the best route to take.

Revali made sure Link knew how to use his paraglider properly, and showed him how to use a bow while in midair, which Link immediately loved. He flew around the edges of the Plateau after that- he couldn’t go far, but he could still give them a heads-up on anything they might encounter.

And now, the four of them stood at the easternmost wall, looking down at the ruins below.

“Head east to Kakariko to see if Impa’s still alive, then north from there towards the Domain,” Mipha reminded them. “I can wait as long as you need, you know. Don’t rush into a fight you’re not prepared for.”

“And try not to die,” added Revali helpfully. “That’d be incredibly inconvenient.”

Link grinned at him. “I’ll miss you too, ya dumb bird.”

“You’re sure this thing can hold both of you?” asked Mipha anxiously.

Flora waved her off. “I’ve done the calculations, it’ll be fine.” Mipha sighed, but still nodded. “Alright then, Link. You ready for this?”

“Not in th’ slightest” he responded, grinning. “Let’s go get our asses kicked by th’ forces of nature.”

Flora cackled, held tight to Link, and the two of them jumped.

The fog parted.

The world below came into being.

And they both crashed directly into a tree.

**Author's Note:**

> Wild!Link: sometimes a family is you, four ghosts, a goddess, and a bunch of Bokoblins
> 
> alternate title: some weird kid spends 12k words having an identity crisis


End file.
